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Heat exchangers
Evaporators & condensers used in chillers
1. Introduction

2. Heat transfer

3. Evaporators

4. Condensers
5. Conclusions
 1 Introduction

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What is a chiller?

A chiller is a machine that removes heat from a liquid via a

vapor-compression or absorption refrigeration cycle. This
liquid can then be circulated through a heat exchanger to
cool air or equipment as required. As a necessary
byproduct, refrigeration creates waste heat that must be
exhausted to ambient or, for greater efficiency, recovered
for heating purposes. Concerns in design and selection of
chillers include performance, efficiency, maintenance, and
product life cycle environmental impact

Source: Wikipedia

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Types of chillers

- As a chiller is a machine cooling a liquid, the evaporator is liquid

cooled.

- Based on the type of chiller, water- or air cooled, the condenser

can be a water to water or water to air condenser.

- Several other heat exchangers can be used in a chiller:

economizers, sub-coolers, heat recovery heat exchangers (de-
super-heaters, …).

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 2 Heat transfer

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Heat transfer.

A heat exchanger is a piece of equipment that is continuously

transferring heat from one medium to another.

Types of heat exchangers:

• Direct heat exchanger:
• Both media are in direct contact with each other, without
mixing
• E.g. cooling tower: water is cooled through direct contact
with air.
• Indirect heat exchanger:
• Both media are separated by a wall through which the heat is
transferred.

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Heat Transfer.

Heat transfer processes: Radiation:

- Energy is transferred by
electromagnetic radiation.

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Heat Transfer.

Heat transfer processes: Convection:

- Energy is transferred by mixing part of a
medium with another part

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Heat Transfer.

Heat transfer processes: Conduction:

- Energy is transferred between solids or
stationary fluids by the movement of
atoms or molecules.

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Heat Transfer.

Convection, Conduction & Radiation … very often at the same time

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Heat Transfer.

Heat Exchanger calculations:

With Q Heat transfer rate [W]

U Overall heat transfer coefficient [W/(m² K)]
A Heat transfer area [m²]
Log Mean Temperature Difference [K]

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Heat Transfer.

Log Mean Temperature Difference (LMTD):

With and being the temperature differences between each fluid at both
ends of the heat exchanger.

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Heat transfer

= 38°C
Evaporator:

= 35°C
LIFT(°C)

= 30°C
= 12 – 4 = 8°C
= 12°C
= 7 – 4 = 3°C

= 7°C = 5,1°C

= 4°C

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Heat transfer

Parellel versus Counter flow

Counter flow

Parallel flow

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Heat transfer.

Factors affecting heat transfer

- Temperature difference
- Conductivity
- Surface of the heat exchanger
- Thickness of the tube walls
- Overall heat transfer coefficient
- Reynolds number
- Prandtl number

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 3 Evaporators

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 Purpose of the evaporator

- Provide the necessary cooling capacity to

cool the liquid
- Provide enough superheat to guarantee
only refrigerant vapour enters the
compressor.
Pressure [MPa]

Enthalpy [kJ/kg]

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Types of liquid coolers.

Types of DX evaporators:

1. Brazed Plate Heat Exchangers

2. DX Shell and Tube
3. Flooded Shell and Tube
4. Falling film Shell and Tube

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Brazed Plate Heat Exchangers.

Benefits:
- Compact
- Low refrigerant content
- Pressure drops are low
- Efficient in small sizes
- Cost efficient

Disadvantages:
- Refrigerant pressures are high: brazed
instead of gasketed
- Cleanability is low.

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DX Shell and Tube Heat Exchangers.

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DX Shell and Tube Heat Exchangers.

Pressure [MPa]
Enthalpy [kJ/kg]
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DX Shell and Tube Heat Exchangers.

Benefits:
- Compact
- Relatively low refrigerant content
- Pressure drops are low
- Efficient in small sizes
- Cost efficient

Disadvantages:
- Risk of freezing in cold climates

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Flooded Shell and Tube Heat Exchangers.

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Flooded Shell and Tube Heat Exchangers.

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Flooded Shell and Tube Heat Exchangers.

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Falling Film Evaporators.

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 4 Condensers

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 Purpose of the condenser

Insert picture To Reject the Total Heat to air or liquid:

- Discharge super heated vapour
- Heat of the condensing refrigerant
vapour and
Pressure [MPa]

- Provide enough sub-cool to guarantee a

Gross heat rejection proper working of the expansion valve

Enthalpy [kJ/kg]

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Air-cooled Condensers Coils.

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Air-cooled Condensers Coils.

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Air-cooled Condenser Coils

Marine

Urban

Industrial

Pollution and corrosion …

affect the efficiency and

life time negatively

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Air-cooled Condenser Coils

Protection against corrosion:

• Poly acryl treatment
• Micro channel
• Cu-Cu condensers
• Special treatments: Thermoguard, …

Protective
Layer

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Air-cooled Condenser Coils

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Air-cooled Condensers Coils.

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Air-cooled Condensers Coils.

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Air-cooled Condensers

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Water-cooled condensers: Brazed Plate Heat Exchangers

Advantages:
- Compact
- Cost efficient

Disadvantages:
- Not cleanable

Application:
- Use in closed systems

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Water-cooled Condensers Coils.

Refrigerant Condensing

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Water-cooled Condensers Coils: Cooling Towers.

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Evaporative Condensers.

- Pre-treated water is sprayed over the

condenser coil.
- Part of water is evaporated thus lowering
surface temperature of the condenser coil
and the air drawn across it.
- Remaining water is collected in a drain pan
and recirculated back to the sprayer.
- Make-up water is added to replace
evaporated water.
- Refrigeration system efficiency is increased
due to lower vapor compression pressure
ratio, thus reducing compressor‘s energy.

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 5 Conclusions

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Conclusions

It is very important

1. To understand the application:

• What is the evaporator supposed to do?
2. To find out the details:
• Refrigerant type, required capacity, the in- & outlet temperatures on the
primary and secondary sides, the maximum allowable pressure drops on
the primary and secondary sides, the flow rate on the primary and
secondary side, the maximum operating temperature & pressure, …
3. To consider the installation site:
• Corrosion risk for the condensers
• Water quality (fouling)
• Potential risk for freezing
• …

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Thank you